Weʼve raised £320 to help treating injured or distressed wildlife in the Kariba area of Zimbabwe, mainly looking for mobiles and sleeping bags for the rangers.

Crowdfunding is a new type of fundraising where you can raise funds for your own personal cause, even if you're not a registered charity.

The page owner is responsible for the distribution of funds raised.

Story

I am aiming to help the Trust in any capacity possible, they are a great cause that suffer tremendously in a country that has no funds available to help out these great causes. I am looking to do sporting challenges that will help raise their profile, and as a platform to ask people to be generous by providing financial donations, or donations in the form of mobile phones or sleeping bags for KAWFT's rangers. Please find below a description of what the Trust's mission is. There is an urgent need for second-hand mobile phones and sleeping bags for the rangers in Zimbabwe.

If you could kindly send me any old contract phones or sleeping bags to the following address with the option for the receiver to pay for postage that would be phenomenal - Independent Schools Association, ISA House, 5-7 Great Chesterford Court, Great Chesterford, Essex, CB10 1PF

KAWFT was formed in 2010 by three passionate Kariba residents, for the purpose of raising funds and awareness on treating and helping injured or distressed wild life in the Kariba area. In conjunction with Parks & Wildlife an anti snaring patrol in mid 2011 was formed to combat the ever increasing numbers of animals reported to be carrying snares.

The anti snare patrol which includes a ZPAWA Ranger and two KAWFT
rangers, operates 5 days a week.
KAWFT does not just do snare patrols, in the unfortunate event, any of our wildlife is injured or at risk, we will take action in treating and assisting our wildlife. If you have any lying around in your draws or cupboards or Father Christmas gave you a new one this year!!

With the nature of work our Patrols and Parks Rangers do, cell phones are often damaged when dropped whilst walking or running in the bush as well as into the lake when on lake patrols.
These are all personal phones that are lifelines to the Rangers and communication by whatsapp, sms and calls can mean the arrest of a poacher or people illegally collecting sand, stone wood etc.

This town is unique as it is located within a national park and is a popular destination for local and, although limited, international tourists. Kariba is known for its dam which is one of the biggest man-made dams in the world and often referred to as a lake. It’s one of the few places where you may have experiences such as an excuse that the elephant didn’t want to get off the road on your way to work and that is why you are late, or a baboon stole your lunch or the zebra spent three hours in your yard eating the green grass…

Unfortunately, due to recent town expansion, rising population, drought and difficult economic conditions, has begun to weigh heavily on the wildlife population, and it is suffering accordingly. This ultimately led to KAWFT being established in 2010. As their name suggests, KAWFT are associated with assisting, as far as possible, with relief to the wildlife due to these harmful risks and pressures. KAWFT general activities include:

Snare and poacher patrols in the area

Clearing of litter in the bush and roadsides

Community alerting about the wildlife and risks associated

Organising vetenary services due to human inflicted wounds on the wildlife

Erecting public notices to inform on how to behave on, and off the roads for the protection of the people and the wildlife

And any other general services concerning the welfare of the wildlife.

KAWFT is independently managed by Kariba residents and they work in conjunction with the local national parks authorities. All KAWFTs costs are met through collecting of public donations. More information on KAWFT as well as any updates on what’s been happening can be obtained through their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/KaribaANimalWelfareFundTrustKariba/

In 2016, in the space of 6 months, 8 elephants were killed in Kariba. 7 of these 8 elephants died due to rubbish/trash ingestion from the local dump site which had no fence. The 8th, was poached for its tusks, through the use of cyanide poison. These incidents were, basically, within the town, where people and traffic are readily found! All of these deaths were avoidable, and this was a huge loss to the resident population of elephants in the area. KAWFT put an appeal out for funds to erect a fence around the site as the local Municipality did not have the money to do so. The funds for the fence have since been met due to generous donations. However, further proactive assistance will put KAWFT in a better position to have measures in place to prevent, rather than to reaction to wildlife mishaps in Kariba.

The plan for this crowd funding site is to raise as money, collect second hand mobile phones, and sleeping bags for the rangers. The main aim is for funds for KAWFT to purchase a second-hand utility vehicle/truck/bakkie. This vehicle will be used to do snare patrols, litter clearing, transport staff and general use, such as transporting darted wildlife to safer areas and also running errands.

Currently KAWFT has a very old, dilapidated Toyota Hilux which is about to give up. And without reliable transport, they will have to rely on people lending private vehicles. This is not an ideal situation, as reaction to wildlife in stress needs to be instant. This forms one of the 4 fund raising goals KAWFT RUNNING 2017 has for the year. Other funds will be raised through the individuals efforts to contribute to the other three goals which include the following:

Website construction for KAWFT, this will allow ease for people to donate to (Est US$500.00)

Cover costs to send a local resident on a wildlife darting course so this expensive service does not need to be outsourced (Est US$3 000.00)

Place more signs in busy town areas and on roads with regards to wildlife protection and conservation (Est US$750.00)

When we reach all these goals which we hope we will do, extra funds will be used for the extensive range of drugs required when darting animals and follow up medication.

We ask for any donation large or small to contribute to the vehicle for KAWFT, any amount will make a difference. As one of the favourite KAWFT African proverb goes ‘if you think you are too small to make a difference, you have never spent a night with a mosquito’. Please assist us to help KAWFT look after the wildlife in Kariba, they do a brilliant job!

Updates

1

4 months ago

Scott Brand

4 months ago

Three weeks till my challenge, I hope I have managed to raise a little bit of awareness for such an amazing community in Zimbabwe.....
Thanks for all your support so far (20 mobile phones, 4 sleeping bags and some well-needed funds).
With your support, KAWFT and all the other trusts/volunteers in Kariba can help provide/maintain a better environment for the local wildlife.